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Realist: a person who accepts a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly

The Rangers are currently in playoff position with an 8-6-1 record against current Eastern playoff teams. So, being realistic, we should think that the Rangers are capable of having some playoff success.

There's nothing wrong with rebuilding. You just don't do it in the middle of the season, when you're in the playoffs.

Why does Hank's age still get brought up? He's been the best goalie in the league since pretty much the middle of October.

With the UFA contracts gone, they will have the money to try and sign Tavares (bonafide super star #1 center). If they can and choose to clear more salary from Smith and Staal, they also have the money to sign John Carlson (bonafide top pairing RHD). Two glaring holes filled through free agency in a cap world. They're both still under 30. (Doing so would also mean trading Hayes for those that want to add more to the prospect pool.)

My point about Lundqvist is that heís the only reason we are at this point but with his age, history shows that players decline with age, as good as heís been this year, the decline will begin shortly, in my opinion. Only Tom Brady seems to defy the age aspect.

As for your scenario, although I think itís a stretch, Iíll bite, but again we are talking about next season. Do we agree this team is not a true contender as its currently constructed? If the contracts are going to be gone anyway, why not try to get something for them this year before losing for absolutely nothing.

The Rangers are currently in playoff position with an 8-6-1 record against current Eastern playoff teams. So, being realistic, we should think that the Rangers are capable of having some playoff success.

Some being the key word. That leads me to believe that even you arenít sold on them being a true contender.

No we do not agree. The goal is to get into the playoffs. Did anyone expect Ottawa to make it to double overtime in game 7 of the conference finals last year? Good thing they didn't give up in the middle of the season.

You think the leafs should trade JVR and Bozak because Tampa is sooooo scary so they should give up too?

Nash for Picks in the 2018 Draft?

Originally Posted by Long live the King

No we do not agree. The goal is to get into the playoffs. Did anyone expect Ottawa to make it to double overtime in game 7 of the conference finals last year? Good thing they didn't give up in the middle of the season.

You think the leafs should trade JVR and Bozak because Tamps is sooooo scary so they should give up too?

If youíre banking on a defensive system and luck to get you there, have at it. Thereís a reason they are where they are now, just 1 year later. And bringing up the Leafs pretty much ends the discussion for me, apples to oranges.

If you’re banking on a defensive system and luck to get you there, have at it. There’s a reason they are where they are now, just 1 year later. And bringing up the Leafs pretty much ends the discussion for me, apples to oranges.

You're banking on getting lucky in the draft to maybe get to the playoffs years from now.

Apples to oranges? The Leafs don't have their own issues? They can't keep the puck out of their net and have only managed to earn 4 more points while playing 3 more games than the non-contender Rangers.

No we do not agree. The goal is to get into the playoffs. Did anyone expect Ottawa to make it to double overtime in game 7 of the conference finals last year? Good thing they didn't give up in the middle of the season.

You think the leafs should trade JVR and Bozak because Tampa is sooooo scary so they should give up too?

TSN had an article about "own rental". Essentially treating these players as if they are a rental. Saying thats the best for the team, not trading them, then trading for deadline acquisitions.

Big difference here is that the rangers did buy for the past couple of years Yandle, Staal, Smith. The rangers until this past draft didn’t have a first round pick for four or five straight years not to mention the seconds they traded as well. Hence their poor prospect base in which nobody seems relevant. The leafs for one are not in this same position. Matter of fact I don’t think there is another team in playoff position that has done the same thing the past couple of years. In my opinion the rangers don’t have the luxury of hoping for a run only because of what they have done in the recent past.

Big difference here is that the rangers did buy for the past couple of years Yandle, Staal, Smith. The rangers until this past draft didn’t have a first round pick for four or five straight years not to mention the seconds they traded as well. Hence their poor prospect base in which nobody seems relevant. The leafs for one are not in this same position. Matter of fact I don’t think there is another team in playoff position that has done the same thing the past couple of years. In my opinion the rangers don’t have the luxury of hoping for a run only because of what they have done in the recent past.

There is not a single formula to winning the cup, or else everyone would do it.

Big difference here is that the rangers did buy for the past couple of years Yandle, Staal, Smith. The rangers until this past draft didnít have a first round pick for four or five straight years not to mention the seconds they traded as well. Hence their poor prospect base in which nobody seems relevant. The leafs for one are not in this same position. Matter of fact I donít think there is another team in playoff position that has done the same thing the past couple of years. In my opinion the rangers donít have the luxury of hoping for a run only because of what they have done in the recent past.

Stop saying this. Everyone thinks its relevant. Nobody in the history of hockey has believed that you should sell your chances at a playoff run for a 50/50 shot (at best) at replenishing your prospect pool. You think the team sucks, which, fine, whatever. But stop trying to justify anything else.

Washington traded for Oshie and Shattenkirk. Pitt traded for Schultz and Streit, and just dumped a first for Ryan Reaves. Not to mention Kessel. The Ducks and Wild both flipped firsts (Potentially) for vets at the deadline last year. That's not to mention the litany of picks and prospects that the Hawks, Kings, and Bruins have sent out during their Cup runs.

And again, nobody is calling for the Rangers to sell young players and picks for rentals.

Big difference here is that the rangers did buy for the past couple of years Yandle, Staal, Smith. The rangers until this past draft didnít have a first round pick for four or five straight years not to mention the seconds they traded as well. Hence their poor prospect base in which nobody seems relevant. The leafs for one are not in this same position. Matter of fact I donít think there is another team in playoff position that has done the same thing the past couple of years. In my opinion the rangers donít have the luxury of hoping for a run only because of what they have done in the recent past.

No, you're right. The Leafs aren't in the same position. While the Rangers have been in the playoffs, since 2008 the Leafs have had picks #1, 4, 5 (x2), 7, and 8 because they won the 6th fewest games in the league from 2007/8 to 2015/6. Thank god for Auston Matthews. Doesn't change the fact they, along with every other team in every single sport, won't trade pending UFA's while battling for a playoff position.

All the teams with strong prospect pools have sucked for years, enabling them to draft high. Unfortunately for them, none have won a cup and most still suck because while their prospects are lighting up juniors most aren't translating to the NHL.

No team wins a Cup without UFAs - most are buyers at the deadline and sell futures for a Cup run. If you are perpetually trading your vets to get assets, you will constantly have a lot of assets and never win dick.

The cap actually means that you have to trade for good players at the deadline because you can't afford to keep all of your young talent. Let's say the Rangers trade Nash for Puljujarvi and Grabner for, say, Honka. What happens when Pulj, Honka, Buch, and Skjei are all all stars, need to be re-signed in two offseasons, and you can't fit them under the cap? You trade one of them? The cap means that you can't just build a massive stock of young players, because when their ELCs expired, you've got to dump good players. It's exactly what's happened to Chicago.

Speaking of Chicago, anyone think Saad could be a good fit for the teams needs and budget as far as giving up assets? I'm pretty sure he can play center.

Who said that? If you are expecting that in keeping Nash and Grabner means you are contending you are dreaming. So then what? You guys want to stand pat in hopes of extending the season a week? They are probably gone maybe Grabner stays at a massive raise but weíll see. You give no thought in getting something for them when you will get a good return instead of losing them for nothing? There is no argument in that other than a misguided prayer that they will be key parts to a championship this year. Do you really think they have a good chance at winning?
If you do trade them You are guaranteed to get a raise in your prospect pool. It doesnít mean they will be stars or anything. But it does give you assets in which you either try and develop or could flip down the line to improve your team. A first round draft pick this summer will keep their value for at least a couple of years. You never know what will become of 17-18 year old kids but being able to select as high as possible will give you a better chance. The more of those chances you have the better chance you have at hitting on something. You have scouts for a reason. You hire them because you think they can identify talent. For once let them do their jobs. The only guarantee here is by doing nothing you donít win a cup and your roster next year will be weaker and you cap situation in future years will be worse off than if you had traded them. Having cheap young talent is the best currency in this league now. Nobody can argue that that is not the case. Getting that kind of talent only comes from building a deep prospect pool. Having more high end picks gives you a better chance of developing that.
Nobody is saying have a fire sale. The only thing being said is you need to trade the players who have high value who arenít going to be here anyway. They made this same mistake with Yandle. Everybody knew he was a goner but they held onto him for a false hope at glory. 5 predictable games later they were golfing and instead of getting a high return for him the rangers got a 5th round pick. That whole situation was insane and yet you guys are proposing the same thing now. That decision on Yandle is effecting this team this season. Maybe if the correct decision was made then this team would be better situated to actually do what you are proposing. Weíll never know. What we do know is that the rangers arenít getting closer to a cup each year with this team. You canít go for it every year.

The thing that seems displaced here is that you claim it's a definite this team can't be a contender.

IMO, I think they have as good a chance as any at this time. It's a season where it's really up in the air. There isn't any team that is standing out and looks unbeatable.

This really all depends on how they are playing around the trade deadline. I'm not against trading Nash and Grabner or 80% of this roster if they don't look better and when the decision has to be made. I'd like to see a change at center for that 2nd line, if not a upgrade on the 1st line. I'm fine with dealing Miller, Hayes, Holden, and at this point Smith in any kind of package not including Skjei, Chytil or a first for said type of player.

I think if they give up and deal Nash and Grabner, why not deal anything else of value that isn't an impact player?

You donít know that. So is chytil a shitty prospect because he was a Kate first round pick. How about Buchnevich is he horrible? Thatís just two. When was skeij picked? Do we really need to do this? The rangers arenít getting a generational talent for them no shit. But the just the rangers roster is loaded with guys picked mid to late in the first two rounds. Could we use another miller? Is that player enough to win them a cup, no. But they sure could use more of players of that caliber especially when a player of that caliber is making peanuts for three years.

You guys just canít wait the two or three years for that player to be here at the expense of a week longer season today. Thatís fine but

Yeah let's have a team full of Miller's. That 1 goal in the playoffs is a definite way to go about winning. You're not winning shit with a ton of mediocre home growns. You are seriously down playing the role a player like Nash has on this team.